The Reason
by T-money1
Summary: Songfic. What if Chris Jericho wanted to quit after Trish's betrayal? What if he was too heartbroken to fight back? What went through his mind the night of Wrestlemania XX? Please R&R.


Disclaimer: Don't own anything, DON'T SUE!

I know, I know. This song has been done so many times with recent songfics for god knows how long. But a good friend and fellow writer in JennyBenny07 wanted me to do a special songfic based on "The Reason" by Hoobastank.

Now about this fic, it will revolve around Chris/Trish. This is sort of a 'what if' fic. What if he wanted to give up after Christian and Trish betrayed him? What if he was too hurt by the betrayal of the woman he loved? What if he wanted to leave after WrestleMania XX? So grab your hankies or your tissues or even your shirt sleeve, because this may seem a little depressing. To all of you shippers, you have been warned. Hey, it was what I pictured when I listened to the song. Enjoy.

**THE REASON**

Chris Jericho left his locker room, not sure about his future in the WWE.

It was the night of WrestleMania XX, and Jericho wasn't happy.

He was sad, depressed, crushed, furious, and mad and for good reason, after being betrayed by the woman he loved in the ultimate fashion. Trish Stratus came out during his match against his former best friend, Christian, for what he thought was for support. Instead, she was there to screw him over.

After the match, it looked like Trish was trying to apologize. Instead, she slapped him hard before Christian attacked him. When he came around, he saw them kissing like sex-starved teenagers. It was like rubbing salt into the wound and, from the look Trish gave him; she had no remorse for her actions.

_I'm not a perfect person  
There's many things I wish I didn't do  
But I continue learning  
I never meant to do those things to you  
And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know_

Chris figured she never got over the bet he made to sleep with her. Even though he apologized to her, it seemed that what he did to her was unforgivable.

And in a sense, it was.

He doesn't blame her. His past record doesn't really back up his sincerity. He knows what he did was wrong. In fact, there were many things he had done that were wrong. It seems like all he ever did was use people and screw them over. He didn't care who he hurt, just as long as it benefited his own selfish greed in the long run.

It wasn't always this way. There was a point in ECW and WCW where he was cheered and adored by the fans. But his ego grew out of control as time passed and he did many dastardly deeds just to feed it. But it didn't come full circle until he came to the WWE.

_I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
And the reason is you_

In 1999, he came to the WWE. His habit continued as he first went after Chyna, who he ended up having to get along with for the time being. It helped him out when he defeated her to become the sole Intercontinental Champion. As the months passed, the two became allies. But it all came to an end the night after WrestleMania 2000, when she betrayed him for Eddie Guerrero.

After that, Chris tried hard to atone for his sins. As 2000 went by, he felt that he was no longer the same man he once was.

But that was until WCW and ECW invaded the company. Soon, his ego grew once again.

_I'm sorry that I hurt you  
It's something I must live with everyday  
And all the pain I put you through  
I wish that I could take it all away  
And be the one who catches all your tears  
That's why I need you to hear_

It was right after Steve Austin turned his back on the WWE and joined the WCW/ECW Alliance. Vince wanted so desperately to have the Rock return to help lead the WWE, which struck a nerve in Chris.

It added insult to injury when he was mocked for never having been a World Champion. His ego was quenched when he defeated the Rock for the WCW Title, but only for him to lose it about a month later. His hatred and resentment for the Rock was so great, it nearly cost him his job.

He turned his back on the fans once more, and set his sights on championship gold. He did this at Vengeance, by defeating both the Rock and Austin in one night.

Still, he didn't learn his lesson as he used the expertise of Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley to benefit him as he prepared himself against Triple H at WrestleMania X8. Unfortunately, he lost the championship that night.

After she was sent away, he was alone again. He ended drafted to SmackDown as part of the WWE Brand Extension and stayed there for a few months, before jumping over to RAW.

_I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
And the reason is you_

It was when he came over that he started hanging out with Christian. The two were successful, winning the World Tag Team Titles on a couple occasions. They showed respect to no one except for the General Manager of RAW, Eric Bischoff, who, as far as he was concerned, was just another person to benefit him.

The two Canadians continued on their reign into the year 2003. Around this time, he and Christian decided to wager a little bet for one Canadian dollar to see which one could bed the diva of their choice first. Christian chose Lita while Chris chose Trish Stratus.

It was perfect, as he gained her trust by saving her from a beat down. As the weeks went by, he and Trish started to become closer. When she found out about the bet, she was heartbroken. After all, he did toy with her emotions. That night after he tried explaining it to her, he went back to his hotel room. There, he looked in the bathroom mirror, just asking himself: How could he have done this to her?

_I'm not a perfect person  
I never meant to do those things to you  
And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know_

That night, he vowed he would make things right again. He thought it would work with them being 'just friends', but his feelings were too strong. It became difficult when he assumed Christian was making his move on Trish.

This eventually led to their match at WrestleMania XX, in which he would fall victim to the ultimate betrayal.

He wasn't surprised though, even after all of the crap he did in the past. While the bet went on, he had hoped that Christian would end up feeling the same way for Lita that he did for Trish. But no, he was still the same old Christian. He was only in it for himself, respected no one, and would gladly stab his own friend in the back if it benefited him.

Chris chuckled at the irony that Trish left him for Christian, who is everything that Chris used to be. Maybe it was done just to spite him.

Part of Chris was hoping that everything would cool down and he and Trish would be together. But then again, just like everything else in his career, he knew that it would end up coming back to bite him right in the ass. He knew he screwed up, but he was truly sorry.

Chris guessed that she didn't listen or just didn't care anymore.

_I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is you_

"You reap what you sow," he said to himself as he packed his luggage.

His stupid ego cost him the chance of love. As he left Madison Square Garden that night, he wasn't sure when he would be back or even if he would be back.

What was the point in him staying there? Even if he was to stay and get his revenge, it wouldn't change anything. Sure, it would make him feel somewhat better, but it wouldn't get Trish back.

He could try to find a way to go to SmackDown, but eventually they would see each other again at joint-brand pay-per-views.

So maybe it's best to leave, either to wrestle elsewhere or retire altogether.

Or just maybe, he might come back to the WWE. He might just get over the pain of betrayal and gain his revenge against both Christian and Trish.

Only time would tell.

_I've found a reason to show  
A side of me you didn't know  
A reason for all that I do  
And the reason is you_

But what about the woman in question?

If she was to beg, if she was to plead, if she was to apologize a thousand times, would he take her back?

The answer was…he didn't know.

In a sense, his experience with Trish changed him…for the better. No longer would he ever use others for his own advantage. Even if it takes the rest of his life, he would atone for all of the mistakes he made.

It may seem like he lost everything but, in a way, won more than he ever could possibly imagine. He turned the car on and left for the airport back to Tampa.

**THE END**

I know, I know. Pretty angst filled huh? But to all of you shippers out there, I warned you. Not really my thing, as I like the two of them together. But when I listened to the song, this story just came to my mind. Hopefully, you don't mind, ya heard? So this story is dedicated to you, JennyBenny07. However, I'm not sure of making a sequel or not. Time will tell. I hoped you enjoyed it. And be on the lookout for more Chris/Trish stories from yours truly.

So until next time, this is T-Money saying "If you want some, come get some. And if you don't like me, bite me."


End file.
